Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. In US, Coronavirus Prompts Calls for Voting Reform Brian Padden Concerns are mounting that the coronavirus pandemic could disenfranchise large numbers of American voters in the U.S. presidential election. " This is a moment we have never experienced before with regards to elections in modern times," said David Daley, a senior fellow with the FairVote advocacy group. Efforts to contain the spread of COVID-19 in the United States have prompted government-mandated quarantines, and widespread advisories against public gathering have resulted in school closures and cancellation of performances, conferences, and sporting events across the country. Upcoming primaries The U.S. state of Louisiana on Friday postponed its primary election contest to select the Democratic and Republican Party nominees to run in the November presidential election. Citing the public health threat posed by the coronavirus, Louisiana pushed back its primary from April 4 to June 20. The next state primaries are scheduled to be held on Tuesday in Ohio, Florida, Illinois and Arizona, and officials say they are taking precautions to protect public health. On Thursday, Governor J.B. Pritzker of Illinois encouraged local authorities to expand the hours for early voting prior to election day. "Voting early usually means avoiding any crowds," Pritzker said. The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends increasing drive-up voting, arriving at polling stations at nonpeak hours and maintaining social distancing space while waiting in line to minimize direct contact with people who may have been exposed to the virus.